The Way It Should Be
by ElectronicYarn
Summary: Adora never imagined that her best friend would one day be her worst enemy. And in a world of such endless possibilities, why did Adora find it so hard to believe that she and Catra could ever become friends again? But what if they could set their differences aside? What price would Adora be willing to pay?
1. Whispers in the Shadows

_Author's Note: __What's this? A fanfic from me that isn't RWBY? Yes, it's true. This story was written in celebration of hitting one hundred followers on tumblr. A modest number to be sure, but I'll take it. This story was supposed to be just a single chapter, but…. Well let's just say that Adora and Catra's relationship is a little too complex to properly capture with such a small number of words. So you're getting four chapters for the price of one._

_This story is set an ambiguous amount of time after the end of Season 2. However, it's not meant to be a prediction about how Season 3 will go at all. And that's good, since said season comes out in, what, three days? That's got to be some kind of record for how fast one of my stories got trampled over by canon. Oh well. Enjoy!_

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**Chapter 1: Whispers in the Shadows**

A rumbling sound echoed in the depths of the Whispering Woods, causing the trees to tremble and shake. A slab of stone slid away from the base of a pyramid that was as old as the world itself, revealing a path down into the depths below. Adora emerged from that ancient passageway and stepped out into the gloom of the night. The First Ones' ruin sealed itself up behind her, and suddenly the woods were quiet again.

Adora let out a tired breath. Light Hope had not been going easy on her in their recent training sessions, and tonight had been no exception. However, she had a good reason for pushing Adora to her limit. The Horde's attacks had been growing in frequency and intensity as of late. If felt like something big was about to happen, and Adora intended to be ready for whatever was coming. As She-Ra, she didn't have the luxury of being anything less than perfect.

Adora took a moment to get her bearings. Then she started walking in the direction of home. Despite the ever-shifting nature of the Whispering Woods, the trails between the First Ones' ruin, the Crystal Castle as Light Hoped called it, and Bright Moon were growing familiar to Adora. Yet something about the woods tonight was putting her on edge. There was an uneasiness hanging in the air, and the weight of the Sword of Protection felt unusually heavy as it hung off of Adora's back. Maybe tonight's training had taken more out of her than she'd thought, although she doubted that was the problem. She was tired, but her entire childhood growing up in the Horde had been nothing but intense training without end. If anything she should have been feeling nostalgic.

As Adora continued to walk, her mind started to wander. Despite her best efforts to focus herself on the here and now, thoughts of the past began drifting into her head. So many of her most cherished memories were forever tainted now that she understood the purpose behind her training in the Horde, and those that weren't inevitably reminded her of Catra.

Adora sighed. It had been months since she'd last seen Catra. It had been at the Northern Reach. She'd just been coming out of her virus-induced stupor, but she'd still gotten a clear look at the indignant expression on Catra's face as Scorpia had carried her away to safety. Catra's long absence since then had begun to make Adora fear that something horrible had happened to her. She knew that she shouldn't concern herself with the wellbeing of one of the Rebellion's worst enemies, but even in the face of everything that Catra had done, Adora couldn't help but care for her.

Adora hung her head. She told herself there was no point in worrying. Catra of all people was more than capable of taking care of herself. Adora refocused her attention on making her way back to Bright Moon. Bow and Glimmer would be expecting her soon. And hopefully they would be enough of a distraction to chase away any thoughts about her former best friend.

Suddenly, a soft rustling sound disturbed the silence of the woods. It was hardly louder than a whisper, but it pricked at Adora's ears all the same, setting her nerves on edge. Adora stopped, reflexively bringing her hand up and grabbing the hilt of her sword. "Hello?" she called out. "Is someone out there?"

The only reply was a short-lived gust of wind that flitted its way through the trees.

Adora's eyes narrowed. She wasn't sure what she'd heard, but it definitely hadn't been the wind. Something was out there. Adora supposed it could have been an animal of some sort, but she doubted that.

Adora took a few cautious steps forward, keeping her hand on her sword. Adrenaline had chased away her weariness. She was fully alert now and ready to spring into action at a moment's notice.

Another sound came from nearby, the slight creaking of a tree branch as it bent. It was no louder than the rustling from before, but as far as Adora was concerned it might as well have been the roar of a charging beast. However, no monsters came crashing through the trees. The forest stood perfectly still. Adora felt the tension ratcheting up inside of her all the same.

Adora was rapidly becoming fed up with whatever game was being played. She drew her sword and thrust it into the sky. "For the honor of Grayskull!" she shouted, her voice echoing off into the distance.

Adora felt her sword thrum with power. Its energy radiated outward, cascading over her. Glimmer and Bow had repeatedly insisted that her transformation into She-Ra was nearly instantaneous, but it had never felt that way to her. It didn't always seem to take the same length of time, but Adora could always feel the sword's magic weaving its way through her body bit by bit. Adora didn't have the words to describe the sensation. It was an experience beyond compare.

There was a flash. Then a bright glow began radiating off of Adora's body, casting aside the darkness permeating the Whispering Woods. Adora held her sword ready. There was no hiding from whatever was out there now, but that was exactly what Adora wanted.

Seconds passed, and still nothing happened. A scowl crossed Adora's face. She slowly turned this way and that, scanning for any sign of threat, but the woods seemed to be empty.

Growing ever more impatient, Adora closed her eyes. Ordinarily it would've been a poor choice considering that she was anticipating an attack, but she knew what she was doing. Strength was far from She-Ra's only power, and thanks to Light Hope's tutelage, Adora had finally begun to tap into her true potential. She started to concentrate. If she did it just right, she'd be able to sense the emotions of anybody who might happen to be nearby. Light Hope had described it as "reading other beings' auras". Adora didn't quite understand what that meant, but that hadn't prevented her from learning the technique.

Adora's senses swept outward, touching the empty spaces around her. An instant later she found what she was looking for. There was a person up in the treetops, and their aura was blazing away like wildfire. The stronger the emotions, the easier they were for Adora to sense, and whoever was out there was positively awash in a maelstrom of feelings. There was anger, longing, regret, and other things that Adora couldn't quite name. However, there was something unusual about this particular aura, something that Adora had never experienced before. Despite its fierceness, the aura was familiar, inviting even, and Adora felt herself being inextricably drawn toward it. It was only the sudden pang of fear when she realized what was happening that sent her metaphysically retreating back to her own self at top speed.

Adora's eyes flew open. Her expanded senses came slingshotting back to her, making her head spin like she'd been slapped across the cheek. She blinked a few times, regaining her composure as quickly as she could. She knew better than to show weakness in the face of the enemy.

"I know you're out there!" Adora said. "Show yourself!"

Again, there was no reply.

Undaunted, Adora drew her sword arm back. She stepped forward, and then she hurled the Sword of Protection toward the aura she'd sensed. Just before her sword left her hand, it transformed into a boomerang.

Adora's weapon whizzed toward its target. It vanished from sight amongst the leaves of a nearby tree, and an instant later, there was a sharp crack, followed by a yelp of pain. A figure fell from the tree and landed on the ground below.

The boomerang spun back around toward Adora. She plucked it effortlessly out of the air, letting it transform back into a sword.

"I don't know what you think you're doing out here," Adora said as she marched toward the figure. "But you're…."

Adora trailed off and stopped in her tracks. She recognized the person lying on the ground. "Catra!" she gasped, although in hindsight, she had no idea why she was surprised. How could it have been anyone else?

"Hey Adora," Catra said, managing to look smug despite having just been ungracefully knocked loose from her hiding spot. "Still playing dress-up with the princesses I see."

Adora gritted her teeth. There was something deeply cutting about the tone of Catra's voice. There Adora had been, worry about Catra as if they were still friends, and all she had to show for it was Catra's disdain.

Adora's feet dug into the ground as a bitter rage filled her. She immediately charged for Catra without giving it a second thought.

Catra sprung to her feet and snatched a metal rod off of her belt. It unfolded into the shape of a quarterstaff. An instant before Adora brought the Sword of Protection slamming down, Catra raised her staff to block. The impact sent waves of energy rippling through the air as an earsplitting crash rocked the forest.

The power behind Adora's blow made Catra's feet slid backward a few inches, but she didn't yield. Sparks flew as the magic in Adora's sword vied against the Horde tech powering Catra's staff. The light show cast long shadows over Catra's face, making her look even more sinister than usual.

"Aww," Catra said. She was trying to sound flippant, but Adora could hear the strain in her voice. "Is that any way to greet an old friend?"

"You're not my friend!" Adora shouted, although the words hurt to say. She suspected that was exactly why Catra had provoked her into saying them. But much to Adora's surprise, Catra's lips curled back into a sneer.

"Oh yeah?" Catra shouted back. "And whose fault is that, princess!?"

Adora felt her blood really begin to boil. Coming from anyone else it wouldn't have mattered. But for Catra to call her "princess" was a step too far. A savage yell escaped Adora's lips, and she surged forward, plowing into Catra with all of her considerable strength.

Catra was unable to hold Adora back. She tried to spin out of the way, but she didn't make as clean of an escape as she undoubtedly would have liked. Her shoulder got caught by Adora's bull rush, and she was knocked down to one knee.

Adora turned, her eyes glowing with anger. Catra was already back on her feet and scrambling to put some distance between the two of them. Unfortunately for her, Adora wasn't about to let her get away. She took a few bounding steps toward Catra. Then she leaped up high into the air, thrusting the Sword of Protection downward as she plunged directly for her opponent.

An alarmed look crossed Catra's face. She dove out of the way just in the nick of time. Adora's sword sliced the air, missing Catra by a hair's breadth, and sunk deep into the ground.

"What are you trying to do?! Kill me?!" Catra exclaimed.

Adora effortlessly pulled her sword free from the ground. She leveled a look at Catra. "What's the matter?" she asked. "Isn't this what you want?"

Catra's lips pressed together. "Maybe it is," she said.

Adora twirled her sword in her hand. There was a shimmer, and it transformed into a staff. Adora lunged forward and swung for Catra's head. Catra blocked with her own staff, and the two of them began trading blows, making the woods reverberate with sound and fury.

Strike by strike, inch by inch, Adora fought Catra back, and she seemed to be gaining the upper hand. As great of a fighter as Catra was, even she wasn't a match for She-Ra's power when they were both on an even playing field. Adora lifted her staff to strike again, but all of a sudden, a disquieting thought made her pause.

Catra had raised her own staff to block an attack that wasn't coming. A perplexed look crossed her face. "Come on, princess!" she shouted at Adora. "Don't quit now!"

Adora slowly lowered her staff. Now that she thought about it, it was obvious that Catra wasn't fighting with her usual fervor. And the fact that she was resorting to blocking Adora's blows rather than just dodging out of the way was as sure a sign as any that she wasn't giving the fight her all.

"What are you up to, Catra?" Adora asked.

There was a noticeable delay before Catra responded. "You mean you haven't figured it out yet?" she asked. "You always were slow."

For once, Adora didn't rise to the bait. "Are you trying to distract me?" she asked. "Is the Horde about to attack Bright Moon?"

Catra frowned. "How would I know?" she asked.

Adora spent a moment trying to figure out if Catra's question had been a rhetorical one. It sure hadn't sounded like it. "Because you're a force captain?" she said.

Catra's frown deepened. A growl started rumbling in the back of her throat, and it quickly turned into a roar. She lunged for Adora, swinging her staff wildly.

Adora suddenly found herself on the defensive. She blocked Catra's attack with her own staff, causing the two weapons to noisily collide against one another.

"No! I'm not a force captain!" Catra shouted. "Not anymore!"

"What?!" Adora exclaimed. Experience told her that Catra had to be lying, but her gut said otherwise. And when she looked, she noticed that Catra's force captain badge was missing from its usual spot on her chest.

Suddenly, Catra's staff swung around, and Adora realized too late that she'd let herself become distracted. Before she even had time to chide herself for her lapse in concentration, her weapon had been knocked out of her hands. Then, in the blink of an eye, the other end of Catra's staff struck Adora in the back of her leg.

"Whoa!" Adora said as one of her feet went flying out from under her. She crashed down to one knee.

"Hordak tried to kill me!" Catra screamed with rage. She lifted her staff high above her head.

As Catra swung her staff down, Adora crossed her arms to protect herself. Catra's staff began repeatedly slamming against Adora's bracers, punctuating Catra's furious shouting with blow after blow. "And it's! All! Your! Fault!"

Adora had never seen Catra so enraged before. Even as Catra continued to ineffectually try to pummel her into the ground, Adora's heart stirred with sympathy. However, her sympathy quickly soured. This had to be a trick. Everything was always a trick with Catra, and Adora decided that she'd finally reached her limit. She was tired of having her emotions toyed with, and she was tired of Catra always getting under her skin. This had to stop. She would make it stop.

Catra's staff came flying toward Adora yet again, but this time Adora caught it in her open hand. Catra jerked as she suddenly found her weapon trapped by Adora's unyielding grip.

Adora fixed her gaze on Catra as she rose to her full, towering height. There was fear reflecting in Catra's eyes. Adora didn't take any pleasure in it, but she did feel a grim sort of satisfaction.

Without any warning, Adora pulled on Catra's staff with a mighty tug. Catra yelped as she was yanked off her feet. Her hands slipped off her staff, and she went soaring helplessly through the air. She hit the ground a moment later and tumbled across the forest floor, finally coming to a stop several feet away.

Adora stomped forward with Catra's own staff still in her hand. It was time to set aside her feelings. It didn't matter how badly she wanted her best friend back; nothing would change the fact that she and Catra were enemies now.

Catra pushed herself up off the ground, but Adora had already closed the distance. Adora swung the staff in her hands. There wasn't any time for Catra to react. Adora's attack caught her on the side of her head. She was bowled off her feet again and went flying sideways. This time when she hit the ground she hit it hard and collapsed into a crumpled heap.

A smothering silence settled over the woods. Adora stood there, waiting for Catra's next move. She knew the blow she'd just delivered couldn't have been a serious as it had looked. She'd fought and sparred with Catra more times than she could count, and she'd never gotten that clean of a hit on her. Catra was just too fast. Yet she was just lying there, not moving at all.

Adora's hands squeezed a little tighter around Catra's staff. "I'm not buying it, Catra!" she said, fighting back an anxious feeling. "Get up!"

Catra didn't get up. She didn't do anything at all.

Adora's resolve began to falter. "Catra?" she said. She started cautiously inching her way forward.

When Adora got close enough, she poked Catra with the tip of the staff she was holding and then leaped back. Catra still didn't move.

A sickening sensation began to well up in the pit of Adora's stomach. Her growing sense of dread finally overrode her suspicion. She knelt down and placed a hand on Catra's shoulder. Then she rolled Catra onto her back.

Catra's face was a sickly, pale color.

"Catra!" Adora shouted. She dropped the staff in her hands, and in a flash, she transformed back into her ordinary self. "Catra! Get up!"

An angry bruise was already forming on Catra's left cheek and working its way up to her eye.

"I'm sorry, Catra!" Adora said. Tears were gathering in the corners of her eyes now. She shook Catra, desperately trying to wake her. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

No one answered Adora's frantic cries. There was no one there who could.

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_Author's Note: Well that could have gone better for Adora and Catra. Then again, maybe not. Don't worry too much. There are still three chapters to go. Things have to get better, right?_

_Did anyone else notice how in the actual show Adora seems to really love throwing her sword at things? I figure at some point she'll learn to at least throw it in a form that makes retrieving it easier. Hence her turning the sword into a boomerang in this chapter._

_As always, I welcome constructive criticism. Please feel free to leave a review. And if you like what you've read, taking the time to favorite and/or follow really helps me out. You can also find me on tumblr (electronicyarn) if you want to send me a message or be notified of updates._


	2. The Old Razzle-Dazzle

_Author's Note: __So how about that Season 3, eh? I…haven't actually seen it yet. But I'm going to work under the assumption that it was awesome. More foolishly, I'm also going to work under the assumption that there weren't any deep insights into the characters' feelings that contradict what I've written here. I guess I can always claim this story is an AU. Which it technically is now._

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**Chapter 2: The Old Razzle-Dazzle**

The moment Catra regained consciousness she immediately wished she hadn't. A splitting headache had been waiting to greet her, and now that she was awake, it hastened to make itself known. Catra groaned. She couldn't quite recall what had happened, and the throbbing pain in her head wasn't making it easy for her to concentrate, but even without opening her eyes she knew that something must have gone horribly wrong. It felt like she was lying on a bed, and an earthy, mossy smell, mingled with the scent of burning wood was permeating her nose. It was a far cry from the acrid air of the Fright Zone.

After a few pointless minutes of trying to will herself unconscious again, Catra reluctantly pried her eyes open. Her vision slowly came into focus. There was a ceiling hanging above her that was made out of logs and dirt. It wasn't exactly helpful in telling Catra where she was, but the dull ache covering the entire left side of her face at least gave her a clue as to what had transpired.

Catra lifted her hand, but as soon as the pads of her fingers made contact with her cheek, a burning pain shot through her. She jerked her hand away and hissed. All of a sudden, memories came flooding back to her. Adora, that big, dumb brute, had been the one who'd done this to her. She'd smacked her in the face with her own staff.

A nasty sneer crossed Catra's lips. "Adora…" she said. She had no idea what she'd been thinking when she'd sought Adora out. Adora had never done anything but make her life miserable.

Suddenly, a voice called out, sounding like it was coming from another room, "Did you say something, dearie?"

Catra's eyes went wide with alarm. Every instinct she had told her to leap to her feet and run. Unfortunately, there was no way that was going to happen. Catra did, however, at least manage to sit up. She slid her legs over the side of the bed and gingerly got to her feet.

Catra quickly took in her surroundings. She had apparently been taken to some kind of rustic cabin. One of the walls of the room she found herself in was built out of nothing more than piled up tree branches, and the other three were just compacted dirt. The bed she'd been lying on was mostly made of leaves, and in lieu of a door there was just an opening in the wall.

A pattering of footfalls sounded just outside of the room, making Catra's ears twitch. Someone was coming. Catra flexed her fingers, ready to swipe at whoever it was with her claws.

Suddenly, an old woman with a messy mop of hair and a ragged purple dress on stepped into the room. She paused in the doorway and peered vacantly past her thick glasses at Catra like she hadn't been expecting to see her there. Then a smile burst onto her face. "C'yra!" she crowed. "You're finally awake!"

Catra looked suspiciously at the old lady. "Who are you?" she asked. She'd never seen the woman before in her life.

"You remember Madame Razz, C'yra!" the old lady said, moving into the room. "How could you forget?"

"My name is Catra," Catra said with a dangerous glare.

"Of course it is, dearie," Madame Razz said, cheerful as ever. "Would you like something to eat? You must be starving."

"I'm fine," Catra said tersely. She backed up a few steps from Madame Razz, eager to not be so close to the strange woman. She wasn't sure she was buying Madame Razz's harmless-old-lady routine. She decided that she needed to figure out what was going on and then leave as quickly as possible.

"Where am I anyway?" Catra asked.

"This is my home!" Madame Razz declared as if that explained everything. "Don't you remember, dearie? Mara dropped you off while you were sleeping. That sweet girl asked me to watch over you."

"Mara?" Catra asked. She was even more confused now than before.

"You know Mara, dearie," Madame Razz said. "Tall. Blonde. Likes to carry her sword everywhere."

Catra's tail began to swish back and forth in agitation. "You mean Adora," she said.

"Yes, dearie. She does adore you," Madame Razz said. "She was beside herself with worry when she brought you here. 'Madame Razz!' she said. 'I need your help! I think I messed up big time!' I don't even know what she was talking about."

An ugly look crossed Catra's face. Madame Razz clearly didn't know what she was saying. Catra knew that Adora didn't care about her. If Adora did, she never would have left her behind when she betrayed the Horde. She never would have held her back for all of those years. And most of all, she never would have run roughshod over her feelings. The more Catra thought about it the more upset she became. Although maybe, just maybe, there was some grain of truth to Madame Razz's statement. It would be just like Adora to realize that she'd been wrong only after it was too late to fix things.

Catra started to ask, "Did…Mara say anything about—?"

Suddenly, a bubbling sound drifted in from elsewhere in the cabin.

"Whoopsie! That would be the water boiling over!" Madame Razz said. "You stay here, C'yra! I'll be right back!"

"My name isn't—!" Catra began to say, but before she could finish, Madame Razz had already scampered off with surprising agility given how old she looked.

"Whatever," Catra grumbled in frustration. She plodded back over to the bed, crossed her arms, and sat down in a huff. She had to at least give Adora credit for using her brain for once. Marooning her with a senile hermit in the middle of the Whispering Woods was definitely a novel way of tormenting her. She wondered what Adora might think up next.

The minutes began to creep by with agonizing monotony. For lack of anything better to do, Catra reached up and touched the left side of her face again. Again, she flinched as the slightest brush of her fingers sent pain shooting through her. She pulled her hand back with a grunt of disgust. This was all Adora's fault, but that was no surprise. Everything bad that had ever happened to her had been Adora's fault. It might have been true that this time Catra had come to the Whispering Woods specifically to find Adora, and it might also have been true that she could've dodged the blow that had knocked her unconscious if she'd really wanted to, but none of that absolved Adora from blame.

Catra brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Some very unpleasant memories started to worm their way into her head. She wondered, not for the first time, how everything had gone so wrong.

Once Catra had thought that she'd been on the path to replace Hordak someday. It was the next logical step after she'd been made his second in command. She'd dreamed about the day that she would finally take her place as the rightful ruler of the Fright Zone. Maybe then Adora would see how wrong she'd been for leaving. But that day had never come. It would never come.

Catra had no idea how long Hordak had spent asphyxiating her half to death, but it had felt like an eternity. He'd eventually grown tired of her choking screams and had tossed her into prison to rot. She'd lingered there for days, dreading the moment that Hordak would have her dragged back to his chambers to begin torturing her all over again. Yet Hordak had never sent for her. Catra had nearly driven herself insane trying to figure out why. She'd eventually come to the conclusion that Hordak ignoring her _was_ her punishment. It had certainly been an efficient one. Living in constant fear of what Hordak might have in store for her was nearly as bad as the actual torture, and he hadn't even needed to lift so much as a finger. Catra hadn't wasted her time applauding Hordak's ingenuity, however. Instead she'd gotten mad. It hadn't taken long before she was practically boiling with rage.

Catra had quickly resolved to take matters into her own hands. It had been trivially easy for her to trick Kyle into letting her out of her prison cell. She had no idea why he was still entrusted with any kind of duty, no matter how menial. Catra had rewarded him for his latest mistake with a punch to the face that had knocked him out cold. From there, Catra had snuck her way through the Fright Zone's air ducts, something she hadn't done since she was a little girl. Fortunately, she'd still remembered her way around.

Eventually, Catra had made it to her destination, Hordak's inner sanctum. It had been there, hidden away in the heart of the Fright Zone, that she'd finally spotted Hordak himself. However, he hadn't been alone. He and Entrapta had been deep in conversation over some sort of machine they were building. It had been only then that Catra had truly understood why Hordak hadn't sent for her again. He hadn't been plotting her demise or fearing her inevitable escape like she'd imagined. He had simply forgotten about her.

In that moment, Catra had learned a terrible truth. She was nothing. She was so insignificant that she wasn't even worthy of being the object of Hordak's loathing. Without Adora's protection or Hordak's blessing, she was less than the dirt the Horde's soldiers trampled under their boots as they marched to conquest. Catra had finally understood that Adora hadn't been holding her back for all of those years, she'd been propping her up.

Catra didn't remember much of what happened next. A haze of despair had clouded over everything. In hindsight Catra supposed that it would have been smarter to seek out Scorpia. The big idiot probably would have protected her at the cost of her own life, but for better or worse, that wasn't who Catra's instincts had led her toward.

When the fog had clear from Catra's mind, she found herself standing at the edge of the Whispering Woods. It was the only place she knew to look for Adora without having to worry about interference from those sycophants that called themselves her friends. She had walked into the woods without hesitation. That was how she'd found Adora, and that was how she'd ended up in Madame Razz's hovel.

A long, forlorn sigh escaped Catra's lips. She shook her head in an effort to clear it. When that didn't work, she stood up from the bed and walked over to the outer wall of the room. She put her hands on the tree branches there like they were the bars of a cage and leaned her head against them. They were cool to the touch.

Catra wondered where Adora was at that exact moment. All she knew for sure was that it wasn't here. Despite everything that she had suffered because of Adora, she still wanted her friend back. If she could have gone back in time to the day that Shadow Weaver had promoted Adora to force captain and stopped herself from going on that joyride that had led Adora to that cursed sword, she would've done so in a heartbeat. Maybe then everything would've turned out the way it had been supposed to.

Catra turned around and leaned her back against the wall. She placed a hand on her chest. It wasn't fair. Even after all this time, she still couldn't exorcise Adora from her heart.

Suddenly, a commotion rose up from somewhere over on the far side of the cabin. Catra stood up straight. She had no idea what was happening, but she could hear the sound of water sloshing about.

"C'yra!" Madame Razz's voice called out. "I've finished warming up the water! The bath's all ready for you!"

"Bath?" Catra whispered. Raw, undiluted fear began creeping up her spine.

Madame Razz popped into the room. "Come, dearie!" she said. "You're positively filthy from traipsing about through the woods. Won't it feel nice to get all cleaned up?"

"Stay away from me you witch!" Catra shouted, pressing herself up against the wall. Suddenly, escaping the Fright Zone seemed like the worst idea she'd ever had. If this turned out to be Adora's doing, Catra would never forgive her.

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_Author's Note: __Apologies to Catra/Scorpia shippers. It's a perfectly legitimate ship, but that's not what this story is about. Oh geez. I just realized that if they hooked up Catra and Scorpia in Season 3 I'd look really foolish right about now. Um…if you all would excuse me, I have some episodes of She-Ra I need to watch._

_As always, I welcome constructive criticism. Please feel free to leave a review. And if you like what you've read, taking the time to favorite and/or follow really helps me out. You can also find me on tumblr (electronicyarn) if you want to send me a message or be notified of updates._


	3. Tiny Talk

_Author's Note: __Hey there! Turns out I'm not dead. I was, however, sick for a week. I'm better now, and I'm back with this chapter. Enjoy!_

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**Chapter 3: Tiny Talk**

Adora was sitting on her cot in Bright Moon Castle, concentrating intently on a pair of wooden figurines in her hands. One bore her own likeness, and the other looked a lot like Catra. After the fiasco that had been planning the assault on the Horde-occupied fortress a few months ago, Bow had made figurines for every member of the Princess Alliance, and several more to represent their most prominent enemies. He'd given the ones he'd made for Perfuma, Mermista, and Frosta to each respective princess, which had made sense to Adora. What hadn't made sense to her was that Bow had insisted that she be the one to hold onto "Tiny Catra".

Adora tightly squeezed the figurines she was holding. She shifted her position on her cot and laid down. It was too early in the day to go to sleep, but that was just as well. Adora had only recently started getting used to her sleeping arrangements there in Bright Moon Castle. Having a whole room all to herself was strange enough, but that wasn't what she'd had the hardest time adjusting to. While she appreciated Bow and Glimmer's frequent slumber parties, nighttime just wasn't the same without Catra there. Adora was pretty sure that she couldn't ask Bow or Glimmer to curl up at the foot of her bed like Catra had always used to do. At least she hadn't seen anything to suggest that kind of thing would be considered normal in Bright Moon.

Every night, Adora keenly felt Catra's absence. She even missed those nights that Catra had been feeling particularly upset, and Adora had walked into the barracks to find her very purposely sleeping on the pillow and hogging the entire blanket.

Adora held up Tiny Catra and stared at her. She didn't regret for a second her decision to leave the Horde, and she cherished Bow's and Glimmer's friendship immensely, but Catra was irreplaceable. Adora desperately wished there had been some way to convince her to join the Rebellion. The thought still haunted her that maybe there had been. Maybe she just hadn't tried hard enough. She could still picture the look of betrayal on Catra's face that day they'd found themselves on opposite sides of the battle at Thaymor Village. The moment had been permanently seared into her memory, and every time her mind conjured up the image, it hurt just a little bit more.

"Hey! Adora!" a voice called out from next to Adora's cot.

The familiar phrase sent panic shooting through Adora. She sprung to her feet and let out a yelp.

"Whoa! Whoa!" the same voice said, a voice that decidedly did not belong to Catra. "Are you okay?"

Adora collected herself enough to realize who was standing next to her. "Bow?!" she asked. "What are you doing here?!"

"You were supposed to meet me and Glimmer out on the practice field an hour ago, remember?" Bow asked. "For some combat training?"

"Oh," Adora said. "Oh! O-of course I remember! I Just—! Let me get my sword and—!"

"Hey. Calm down," Bow said. "Glimmer and I decided it'd be better if we all practiced later."

"You did? Why?" Adora asked.

"Because you've been really distracted ever since you came back from the Whispering Woods last night," Bow said.

"What? No, no. I'm fine," Adora said.

"Uh-huh," Bow said, obviously not convinced. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"There's nothing to talk about!" Adora said.

Bow arched an eyebrow and put his hands on his hips.

Adora sat back down on her cot. "Okay. Maybe there's a few things to talk about."

Bow took a seat on the cot next to Adora. "Does this have something to do with Catra?" he asked.

Adora stiffened up in alarm. "W-why would you ask me that?!" she stammered.

"Because you're holding onto Tiny Catra like your life depends on it," Bow said.

Adora looked down at her hands. They were still clutching Tiny Adora and Tiny Catra. A light blush dusted Adora's cheeks. She turned her gaze away from the figurines and away from Bow.

"So are you going to tell me what happened?" Bow asked.

After a moment's pause, Adora said, "I ran into Catra last night when I was leaving the Crystal Castle."

Bow's eyes narrowed. "Did she attack you?" he asked.

"Well yeah. It was Catra," Adora said matter-of-factly. "But things were different this time."

"Different how?" Bow asked.

"It was like she didn't really want to hurt me anymore," Adora said. "It was…it was more like old times. Back when we were on the same side."

"Wait. Catra used to attack you when you were both still in the Horde?" Bow asked.

"Of course," Adora said, turning to face Bow again. "We sparred all the time. It was part of our training."

"Oh," Bow said. "Well that's—"

"Although," Adora interrupted. "Sometimes Catra liked to pounce on me out of nowhere and pin me to the ground. All of the time really."

"Uh…what?" Bow asked.

"And sometimes she would pretend to fall down in front of me so I'd have to catch her. Then she'd make me carry her somewhere," Adora continued like what she was saying was completely normal. "And sometimes she'd jump onto my back and wrap her legs around my waist. And if she was in a really good mood she'd nibble on my ear for some reason. And—"

"Alright!" Bow said, standing up from the cot and taking a few steps backward. "I don't think I need to hear anymore!"

"Okay," Adora said, genuinely confused by Bow's apparent discomfort.

"Let's…" Bow cleared his throat and regained his composure. "Let's talk about what happened last night."

Adora lowered her head. "It's…" she started. "It was like Catra wanted to lose to me. And she said that Hordak had tried to kill her. It sounded like she was on the run from him."

"That's got to be some kind of trick," Bow said. "Right?"

"I thought so too," Adora said. "But I think Catra might have actually been telling the truth."

Bow was silent for a moment. Then he said, "Okay. So she was telling the truth. Now what?"

"What do you mean, 'now what'?" Adora asked, looking up.

"If Catra's left the Horde, what does that mean?" Bow asked. "You did tell us that she used to be your best friend."

"Yeah. She was," Adora said.

"So what do you want for her now that she might not be our enemy?" Bow asked.

Bow's question had not been something that Adora had considered. Just thinking about it sent a wave of anxiety washing over her. It had only been yesterday that she'd been able to truly accept the fact that Catra _was_ her enemy. The possibility that she might not be anymore dangled in front of Adora like bait for a cruel trap. She felt like Catra was toying with her emotions all over again, despite her not even being there. But there was no question that Adora wanted her friend back. She missed her. She even missed being pounced on from out of nowhere and looking up to see a pair of intensely beautiful eyes inches from her own, staring at her like a predator who had captured her prey.

"Uh…Adora?" Bow said. "Are you sure that you and Catra were just friends?"

"I…yes?" Adora said, shaking her head clear of her sudden daydream. "Why do you ask?"

Bow pointed at Adora's hands.

Adora glanced down again and saw that she'd been tapping Tiny Adora's and Tiny Catra's heads together, pantomiming them kissing.

"Agh!" Adora shouted. She quickly pulled the figurines away from each other and hid them, and her hands, behind her back. Her whole face turned bright red as she blushed furiously.

Bow gave Adora a smirk.

"It's not what you think!" Adora said.

"Uh-huh," Bow said.

"It's…!" Adora trailed off with a sigh. She withdrew her hands from their hiding place. "We were just friends. I would've liked for us to be more than that. But Catra would never feel that way about me."

Bow said, "Are you…sure?"

"Yes!" Adora said. "Why wouldn't I be sure?"

"Because you said that Catra used to…. You know what, never mind," Bow said. "Maybe we should think about the big picture. Catra knows a lot about the Horde. She may even know what some of Hordak's long-term plans are. If the Rebellion could learn what she knows—"

"I don't want her to be a prisoner!" Adora blurted out, understanding full well how unreasonable that was given all the things Catra had done. "I just…don't."

"Who says she has to be a prisoner?" Bow asked.

"But she—!" Adora said. She cut herself off before she started to argue against the very thing she wanted.

"Do you know where Catra might be right now?" Bow asked.

"I've got an idea," Adora said.

"Then maybe you should go to her," Bow said. He slyly added, "For the good of the Rebellion."

"Right. For the Rebellion," Adora echoed.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Bow asked.

"Nothing! I'm just going to…" Adora said, stopping herself short before she started rambling. She stood, walked over to her dresser, and gently set Tiny Adora and Tiny Catra down on top of it next to where her sword was lying.

"Bow…" Adora said. "Thank you."

"It's what friends are for," Bow said with a smile and a nod.

Adora smiled back at Bow. Then a serious look crossed her face. She picked up her sword and tucked it into its place on her back. She bounded toward one of her room's windows, pushing it open when she got there, and stepped onto its frame. The field surrounding the castle lay before her, and beyond it, the Whispering Woods.

Adora jumped, launching herself out of the castle. She hit the ground a few yards away and took off running in the direction of the woods. Catra was out there, and Adora was determined to find her. This might be her one and only chance to get her friend back, and she wasn't going to waste it.

* * *

_Author's Note: __I've decided now that I've written this chapter that Adora being clueless to Catra's blatantly obvious physical affection is my new favorite thing. Good thing Bow is there to sort her out, eh?_

_Only one more chapter to go! With any luck it won't take as long to get out as this one did._

_As always, I welcome constructive criticism. Please feel free to leave a review. And if you like what you've read, taking the time to favorite and/or follow really helps me out. You can also find me on tumblr (electronicyarn) if you want to send me a message or be notified of updates._


	4. Back to Where It Began

**Chapter 4: Back to Where It Began**

Catra's tail was swishing back and forth. If anybody had been watching her it would have been obvious how agitated she was. Fortunately for her, she was alone, perch high up in a tree overlooking Madame Razz's hovel. The old woman had left a few minutes ago to go pick some berries. At least that's what she'd said she was going to do. Catra was half-convinced that Madame Razz had actually left to brew up some new way of tormenting her.

The woods surrounding Catra seemed unnaturally quiet, and the silence had her on edge. She'd heard countless stories growing up about Horde soldiers who had wandered into this place, only to never be seen or heard from again. Whether the tales were true or not, Catra didn't intend to let her guard down for a second.

Suddenly, Catra's ears twitched as a faint rustling sound reached them. Something was making its way through the dense underbrush below, and it was heading in Catra's direction. Whatever it was, it didn't sound like Madame Razz. Catra's legs tensed as she got ready for trouble.

The rustling of the bushes and shrubs grew louder, and just as the disturbance reached a crescendo, a voice called out, "Hello?!"

Catra frowned as all the tension seemed to drain out of the air. She let out a sigh and sat down on her tree branch. Trouble had indeed found her, but it wasn't the kind that she'd been expecting.

Adora emerged into the clearing. "Hello?" she called out again.

It never ceased to amaze Catra just how loud Adora could be. Ordinary humans were clumsy enough, and Adora was an exceptional case. With as much noise as she'd been making, Catra had thought that some kind of hulking monster had been coming her way. And while that was an accurate description of Adora more often than not these days, right now she wasn't wearing the form of She-Ra. Although Catra couldn't overlook the fact that She-Ra's sword was still hanging off of Adora's back.

"Madame Razz, are you home?" Adora asked the empty air. "I'm looking for Catra. Is she still here with you?"

Catra was sorely tempted to slink away and leave Adora to wonder what had become of her. It certainly would've served Adora right, but Catra couldn't bring herself to do it.

"Uh…hello?" Adora called out again. "Is anybody there?"

Catra rolled her eyes. It was befuddling sometimes how helpless Adora was without her. She pushed herself off of her tree branch and landed behind Adora on the forest floor without making so much as a sound.

Adora clearly hadn't noticed Catra's presence yet. A mischievous grin spread across Catra's lips. She started creeping closer to Adora, careful to be as quiet as she could. It wasn't until she was standing directly behind her that she leaned in and said, "Hey Adora."

Catra could practically see Adora's hair stand up on end in alarm. Adora rolled away from her, a move that all Horde cadets were made to practice until it became instinct. She wound up a few feet away from Catra, facing her with her hand poised to draw her sword. But all of a sudden, her eyes lit up.

"Catra!" Adora said excitedly. She relaxed her stance.

Catra wasn't sure why Adora suddenly didn't seem to consider her a threat. She didn't like it. "What are you doing here, Adora?" she asked, doing her best to act like she didn't care.

"Looking for you," Adora said.

Catra was surprised by Adora's answer, surprised and suspicious. "Why?" she asked.

"Because I finally realized this is our chance!" Adora said.

"Our chance for what?" Catra asked. She wasn't sure what Adora was getting at.

"Did you really get kicked out of the Horde?" Adora asked.

Catra's eyes narrowed. "Why would I lie about that?"

"Then you can finally do something to stop Hordak!" Adora said. "You can join the Rebellion!"

"Ugh! This again? Forget it!" Catra said. She turned and started walking away.

"Catra, wait!" Adora said.

Catra didn't wait, and she didn't look back. For a moment she'd almost thought that Adora had come looking for her because she'd felt bad or because she'd missed her. But no, it was still all about the Rebellion. Catra should've known that Adora was no different from everyone else, always looking for a way to exploit those around her.

"Wait, Catra! Please!" Adora said.

Catra felt Adora's hand grab her own. She jerked to a stop. It had been so long since she and Adora had held hands. They had used to do it all the time. If the circumstances had been different it might have even been nice.

Catra just stood there for what felt like hours. But then she slowly turned to face Adora again. However, she quickly realized that she'd made a mistake. She hadn't been prepared for the absolutely pleading look Adora was giving her. Adora's eyes were like daggers being stabbed into her heart. She wanted to look away, but she couldn't. Adora's gaze had her trapped.

A confused expression suddenly crossed Adora's face. She lifted Catra's hand to her nose and sniffed it a few times.

"What are you doing?" Catra asked.

"Did you take a bath?" Adora asked.

"Is that all you have to say to me!?" Catra exclaimed. She wrenched her hand free from Adora's. Tears started to well up in the corners of her eyes. "Stop pretending you care about me more than your stupid Rebellion!"

"I do care about you, Catra!" Adora said. "But the Rebellion is important! If you come with me, I can-!"

"You can what!?" Catra shouted. "Drag me to Bright Moon so all the princesses can have their revenge?"

"No!" Adora said. "That's not what I want!"

"WELL IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU WANT!" Catra bellowed at the top of her lungs.

A silence settled over the woods. Adora looked too stunned to respond.

Catra took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "It doesn't matter what you want," she repeated, calmer this time. "If you think your little friends will let me waltz right into their fairy-tale castle without batting an eye, you're dead wrong."

"They let me in," Adora said.

"Because you're She-Ra," Catra said.

"Not…not just because I'm She-Ra," Adora said.

"Oh please," Catra said, rolling her eyes. She crossed her arms and fixed Adora with her sternest look. "Maybe. Maybe your Rebellion friends are goody-two-shoes enough to take in a Horde cadet who hadn't done anything yet. But do you really think they'll be able to buddy up with an ex-force captain? Especially the one who led the attack on Bright Moon that nearly got all of them killed?"

"I…" Adora stammered.

Catra uncrossed her arms. It was time for her to drive her point home. "Run away with me," she said.

"What?" Adora asked.

"Run away with me. Right now," Catra said, knowing full well that Adora wouldn't do it. "Forget about the Rebellion and the Horde. Let's leave this all behind and go someplace where no one will ever find us."

Adora's lips pressed together, but to Catra's complete surprise, she didn't immediately refuse her proposal. In fact, Adora didn't say anything at all.

Catra's eyes narrowed as she scrutinized Adora's face. Adora had always been easy to read, and she was usually predictable to a fault. However, when Catra realized what was going through Adora's head, the shock hit her hard enough that it almost knocked her off her feet. Adora was actually considering Catra's offer. She was actually considering leaving the Rebellion behind. Catra's jaw dropped.

"I…. Can't," Adora eventually said. "At least…."

"At least…what?" Catra asked, now firmly on the back foot, emotionally speaking.

"Come to Bright Moon with me," Adora said. "I'll introduce you to Queen Angella. And Bow and Glimmer too!"

"I've met Bow and Glimmer," Catra mumbled.

Adora continued, speaking now with unrestrained fervor. "And if anyone in the Rebellion tries to hurt you…we'll leave and do what you said! We'll run away from it all!"

It took Catra a moment to find her voice again. When she did, she asked, "Do you mean it?"

"I mean it," Adora said, nodding solemnly.

Catra just stood there, not knowing what to think. Eventually, she regained her composure somewhat and said, "Do the thing."

"The…thing?" Adora asked, clueless as ever.

"The thing," Catra said. "With the sword."

"Oh! Uh…okay," Adora said. She drew her sword from her back, held it high, and said, "For the honor of Grayskull!"

Catra had to bring her hand up to shield her eyes from the sudden burst of light. When she lowered it again, Adora was literally glowing, and her golden hair was flowing behind her like it was blowing in a breeze.

Catra openly stared at Adora. Adora had never needed any help to look beautiful, much to Catra's frequent frustration. So of course fate would see fit to bestow on her a magic sword that let her transform into an eight-foot-tall goddess.

Adora started to ask, "So why did you—?"

Adora was interrupted by Catra leaping up and throwing her arms around Adora's neck. She slammed her lips into Adora's, planting a fiery kiss on her.

Catra felt Adora stiffen up with shock, but a moment later she began kissing Catra back. Adora's arms came up, arms that could easily crush boulders, and they hugged Catra tenderly. It was like being wrapped in a comforting blanket.

Catra deepened the kiss, hungry for more. She didn't care what Adora might think. She'd wanted to do something like this for so long, and she wasn't going to deny herself for one minute more.

It wasn't until Catra felt herself getting dizzy from a lack of oxygen that she finally released Adora's lips. She opened her eyes and saw a dazed and mesmerized Adora staring back at her with She-Ra's impossibly blue eyes.

Catra slipped out of Adora's arms. Her feet touched the forest floor again, and she started walking away.

"W…wait," Adora said, finally coming to her senses again. "What about…?"

"I'll think about it," Catra said, not bothering to look back. She quickly scampered her way up the nearest tree with effortless grace and leaped from its branches to its neighbor. Soon she was bounding from treetop to treetop, and in no time at all, she had left Adora behind.

* * *

Several days later, Adora was by herself at the edge of Bright Moon's practice field. All kinds of training equipment was scattered around her, but she was focusing her attention on a large burlap bag filled with sand that was hanging from a tree. A crude picture of a Horde soldier was painted on it, and Adora was doing her best to punch the fictitious soldier into oblivion. She slammed her fists into the bag over and over again. Her hands were starting to ache, and she was beginning to run short of breath, but she just kept on punching.

Eventually, Adora let out a yell and struck the bag with a mighty kick. The bag swayed back and forth, worse for wear but refusing to give up. Adora doubled over and leaned against the bag with one arm to steady herself. Sweat was pouring down her face, and she was breathing heavily. There was no doubt about it, she was utterly exhausted. But even that wasn't enough to get Catra out of her head.

Adora's fingers came up and absently traced her lips. For days all she'd been able to think about was the kiss that Catra had given her. She just couldn't figure out what it might have meant. All she knew for sure was that a hunger had been awakened inside of her, and she didn't have any way to satisfy it. Catra had finally done it; she'd finally found the perfect revenge.

Suddenly, there was a rustling in the bushes that marked the beginning of the wilderness surrounding the practice field. Adora's head snapped in that direction, and she stood up straight. Her sword was safely tucked away back in her room, so she reached down and picked up a staff that had been lying on the ground.

Adora inched her way forward, brandishing the staff. "Who's there?" she called out.

The bushes rustled again. But this time, Catra emerged from them. She had a smile on her face that was dangerously close to being sweet.

Adora's mouth hung open. Her hopes suddenly soared.

"Hey Adora," Catra said.

* * *

_Author's Note: __And that's it. It was fun to play around in the world of Etheria. I actually came up with an idea for a much longer She-Ra fic as I was writing this. I'm really hoping to be able to get to it one day, but with my schedule as it is right now…. I mean, look how stupidly long it took for me to get this story out. Oh well. Maybe next year. (Being a responsible adult is no fun sometimes.)_

_Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this little tale of mine. Thank you so much for reading!_

_As always, I welcome constructive criticism. Please feel free to leave a review. And if you like what you've read, taking the time to favorite and/or follow really helps me out. You can also find me on tumblr (electronicyarn) if you want to send me a message or be notified of updates._


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